feet deep. It's very unusual. It's a one-story structure as it exists. Here's the property as
you can see it. It's like a bunch of little garages that were for horse carts and then
ultimately for hot dog carts. That's the side elevation for Sloan Street. The plans for the
interior. Again, this is not going to be an Eden property. It's just going to be
just purely take out. Most of it is prep. There are, there's an entrance here for folks to come
in and to work. There's also a store, you know, storage for trash. And there are
certain areas in order to pick up and deliver halal. It's going to be basically a halal
restaurant, which is, as you know, very popular now for Mediterranean restaurant. Here is the
corner property. It's surrounded by CMX-2. It's adjacent to RM-1. Here it is again.
here's the unit right there again RM1 CMX2 there are some RSA5 corners but all of them are
multifamily with ZBA variances and I think what's most important is to see how this property
has been handled through the years.
So I think it's important to show you.
2010, it was, again, commercially represented.
This is 1942.
It was by the Planning Commission itself.
commercially represented different than the other single-family homes on Sloan Street.
Here's 1895. This particular corner was dealt differently than the rest of the homes on Sloan
Street. It's always been treated. Here's 1910. Again, 450, always been designated as something
other than single family because as you can see there's single family here and then in yellow
there's 450 which is again consistently dealt with as something different
than the rest of the block. Here's the interior of the property as it exists.
You know we met with the community organization
um of course here's the flyer here's the deed
Um, of course, here's the flyer. Here's the deed.
They would like an RSA five use. They would like a single family use problem is, and we've, here's the proof of mailing 98 pieces.
Problem is, is that this property has never been a single family home like ever.
We go back to 1895, and what we've determined in its historical use, because it's almost 23 feet wide, is that the property has never been, nor was it ever considered, even with the Planning Commission, a lot that should have been for single-family homes.
It's on Spring Garden Street, which is a, you know, not a quiet block.
It's across the street from CMX2 uses.
It's adjacent.
Everything along here is RM1 multifamily, you know, dwellings and or commercial properties.
So to require this property after 135 years to be a single family home would be doing something that's inconsistent with 135 years of history for this property.
And as a result, we respectfully request that he be able to put out what his proposal is.
His proposal is very specific, and we've met with the community on a couple of occasions, and what he'd like to do is a pizza parlor. Basically, it's a halal restaurant, but the hours would be very limited, 12 noon to 9 p.m.
uh two or three employees and that includes himself as the owner
the entire perimeter of the property would be lit up with flood lighting and would also have
a security cameras right now it's a very dark and dangerous corner that as you can see based on
what we've shown you is there's no activity on that corner. And we think we can actually
add a benefit to that block and that corner. Now, is the property conducive to a single
family dwelling? No. Every single family dwelling on Sloan is 15 feet wide. Here's a 23 feet wide
corner that has never served as a single family home. So what he'd like to do is do something
that actually faces Spring Garden Street, which is where the commercial space is, but do it in a
way that is consistent with safety and security issues with the community. Again, 12 noon to 9
p.m. closed down at nine security lights security surveillance something that that corner has never
had so we respectfully request the zoning relief on this particular property 135 years of use
has shown this is that this has never been you know for single family home development
And we just ask that we allow us to do something that's going to be actually positive, but again, not complying with the code.
How many days a week? Seven days?
No, no, no. Sundays is closed. Six days a week.
Monday through Saturday?
Saturday, noon to 9 p.m.?
Just noon to 9.
That's it.
I mean, it's really, I mean.
Trash?
Where does trash get stored?
Trash is stored in the rear of the property, but taken out by a commercial trash pickup.
Is there a takeout window?
Twice a week.
Well, that's all there is.
I mean, it's nice.
I'm asking, is it a takeout window?
I mean, let's look.
here's a service window here and a service window here that's it yeah that's okay
that's all there is i mean there's no place for loitering or hanging out or anything like that
the entire perimeter of the property would be lit up with floodlights all corners will be hit by
uh surveillance cameras again right now it's a very dark and dank place um and i know you know
surveillance cameras again right now it's a very
some folks would prefer dark and dank but i you know but at the end of the day this will this will
uh make sure that uh you know some undesirable issues are sort of uh dealt with by lighting it
up and making sure that there are surveillance cameras. We have the trash is right here
in the storage area. So commercial trash pickup comes up, takes the trash out of here and brings
it out. There's no reason to keep trash on the sidewalk, as you can see here on the left-hand
side, and he just wants to be able to provide halal, and I'm sure you know what that is,
chicken over rice and chicken over vegetables, and there's lamb and gyros and all that,
which is very popular right now, and, you know, but it's certainly not a lot that is
conducive to a single family home. Does your, is your client available? Yes. You can call
Michael. Please raise your hand. It's Michael Bissert. Michael.
this is michael briscoe i am not the owner i am a member of the committee rco committee
if you ask we'll get to you we'll get to you shortly sir yes i'm looking for my client
i'm sorry i got the wrong mic i decided hello okay jason it's all right can you hear me now
yes good afternoon please identify yourself spell your first and last name
Basir Mike Qureshi
Michael can you put your address on the record
and spell your last name
450 North Sloan Street
Philadelphia PA
and please spell your last name
Q-U-A-R-A-S-H-I
do you swear and affirm
to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth
yes I do
Michael did you hear my
presentation to the board this evening yes and was it true and accurate to the best of your knowledge
yes and would you adopt it as your own testimony sir yes thank you thank you questions from the
board no no no anyone would like to testify please raise your hand at this time
it was another michael i believe he had his hand up yeah mr michael uh briscoe he still has his
hand up yes briscoe are you um still waiting to speak if so yes i am sworn in good afternoon sir
or good evening please identify yourself spell your name for the record and provide us with your
address? Michael Briscoe. My address is 4053 Spring Garden Street. Would you spell your last
name, sir? B-R-I-S-C-O-E. And do you swear and affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth? Yes, I do. Thank you. Please proceed. Yeah. Good afternoon. Thank you for your
time uh the counselor referred to that corner as dark and dink a couple of times uh chairperson
it's not dark and dink it's a nice little uh residence with which is sandwiched between
lancaster avenue and market street nice single homes i walk that that garage area right there
on screen, me and my wife, we walk past there towards the Presbyterian Hospital. And by the
way, to the left of that garage section is the police parking lot for the 16th District. So
it's not well-traveled. It's not a dangerous. It's not a bad place. The neighborhood is nice
and comfortable. Nice. People have their children riding up and down Spring Garden Street
on bicycles. The concern has to do with the increased population that's going to be
frequenting the takeout, in addition to the cars that will be coming by to purchase.
takeout. In addition to the cars that will be coming by to purchase their chicken or whatever
they're going to sell. We have, right now, we have a takeout place maybe 30 feet to the north of this
place. We have another one on 42nd Street to the west. We have another one on 38th Street to the
east and of course we have Market Street. This is not a good idea for our community right now.
That's my position and we had a vote on it and that's the majority of the people in this area.
A single family home or two would be ideal. That's my position and that's the position
of our meeting. Thank you for your time. Thank you sir for for testifying.
Anyone else would like to testify? Please raise your hand.
Mr. Chair, I have someone's hand raised whose number ends in 3452. I will allow them to speak at this time.
Hello, Mr. Chairman, can you hear me?
Yes, please identify yourself, name and address by your last name.
My name is Charles Bode, B-O-D-E, 4014 Spring Garden Street, which is about 300 feet from the property.
Do you swear and affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do.
Thank you, sir. Please proceed.
Okay, I have a few brief points.
First, there is no hardship in this case.
And as to the history, it has always been a quiet property.
A garage for horse carriages is very quiet.
And that was 130 years ago, as the applicant states.
If we don't ever allow the zoning to be modernized and changed, we'd never get anywhere.
So at some point, the zoning was changed to be single family.
And we have to understand, in our neighborhood, we have provision for multiple types of zoning, all the way from single-family to CMX4 down on Market Street.
And we have zoning for commercial, I believe it's CMX2, but for commercial properties on Lancaster Avenue, which is the proper place for a takeout restaurant.
We have the Promise Zone, a federal designation, which is trying to work on improving the neighborhood.
We have at least two organizations paying people to try and get businesses and improve Lancaster Avenue.
One is the LA21 Business Association, and one is the People's Emergency Center, CDC.
They're working very hard to get businesses on Lancaster Avenue.
And as most people are probably aware, businesses build businesses.
So we want to keep them, we have a proper place for them in our neighborhood.
It's not an exclusive zoning.
There will always be a property on a zoning boundary when there are multiple types of zoning.
But if we keep nibbling away, then there's no point in having zoning or having a zoning map.
So we have provision for the restaurant and we would welcome it on the avenue.
um as the previous speaker mentioned the police are at our corner at that corner they frequently
park there and that actually is one of the traffic problems because all of a sudden the
police cars are flying around because something happened but if we have a crowd of people standing
there it's going to be another problem there so we would request that the variance be denied
and it denies a family an opportunity to have a home.
And as the entire United States has seen for the last approximately year
with all this protest or whatever we would politically correctly describe it,
there's a big problem with families not being able to build wealth
by not being able to own a home.
This is an opportunity that the city has created by zoning it for a single family
for a family to have a home.
And we have had several single-family homes built in our neighborhood,
and there have been some that have been quite large.
There is one on 42nd Street.
I'm sorry, I apologize.
It's 41st Street, approximately 429.
I forget the exact number right now.
And I thought they were building a fraternity house,
but someone moved in about two or three years ago.
So as to the lot being large, that enables the space for our yard,
a side yard, a backyard.
yard we keep hearing that we need space around we keep asking can we ask more variance because
there isn't a nine feet or whatever is in the back this lot it would enable a proper single
family house to be built so i would request that it be denied that the restaurant can
So I would request that it be denied, that the restaurant can go on Lancaster Avenue where there's a place for it and where it would be welcome.
There are vacant stores right now.
I believe 3974 has a for rent sign on it right now.
So we would welcome the store on Lancaster Avenue and we would request it be denied here.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Anyone else to testify?
Mr. Chairman, please let me know when I can respond to some of that, okay?
Yeah, just allow anyone else to testify.
Something new and different?
Mr. Chair, I have a Ms. Elizabeth Warren right now.
I will allow her to speak.
Good evening, ma'am. Please identify yourself with a net record, spell your last name,
and provide us with your address.
are you available so please don't meet your microphone
Okay, can you hear me?
Yes, ma'am.
Please identify yourself, name and address.
Elizabeth Waring, W-A-R-I-N-G, 4023 Powleton Avenue.
Waring, affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Thank you, ma'am.
Please proceed.
So I walk in that area all the time, and it's not dark and dinky.
I don't know where that came from.
But there are already a few businesses, daycare, the People's Emergency Center there.
The People's Emergency Center has a housing unit for women and children there in that immediate area.
Also, as I said, the police station, there's a donut shop and others leading into Lancaster Avenue.